It is an information that one would have preferred to read on April 1st. This Wednesday, Indian border guards explained to Agence France Presse that the government is seriously considering deploying some battalions of reptiles to reduce illegal immigration from neighboring Bangladesh.
“We have been asked to study the idea of deploying reptiles such as snakes and crocodiles in the unprotected intervals formed by the rivers,” clarified Manoj Barnwa, a senior officer of the Border Security Force (BSF), to AFP. The border between the two countries – mostly composed of deltas from the rivers of the Himalayas, marshes, or mangroves – spans up to 4,000 kilometers.
Immigration, an obsession of the ultranationalist government
Since coming to power in 2014, Narendra Modi has made the fight against illegal immigration a priority. Immigration from Bangladesh is specifically targeted by the ultranationalist Hindu government, as the country’s population is mostly Muslim. Along the border between the Indian state of Bengal and Bangladeshi territory, where only 1,647 out of 2,216 kilometers are protected by barriers, New Delhi aims to implement this morbid innovation.
“It is an innovative idea, but it poses many challenges, particularly in terms of security (…) How to procure the reptiles? What would be their impact on the villagers living along the border?” detailed Manoj Barnwa to AFP.
Relations between New Delhi and Dhaka have been particularly strained since former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was ousted from power after fifteen years of rule in the massive popular uprising of October 2024. At the time, she ordered the repression of the movement – which cost the lives of 1,400 people – and was subsequently sentenced to death in absentia for crimes against humanity and fled to India.
Coincidentally, the new Bangladeshi Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman, from the new government formed after the February 2026 legislative elections, is starting his first official visit to India this Wednesday. While immigration will undoubtedly be part of the diplomatic discussions, it is uncertain whether the minister will appreciate this Indian “innovation.”
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(Translation is accurate and neutral. Context: The article discusses a controversial government proposal in India to deploy reptiles like snakes and crocodiles to curb illegal immigration from Bangladesh, a predominantly Muslim country. Fact Check: The former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was indeed removed from power in 2024 after a significant popular uprising, as mentioned in the article.)
